After the Rift Was Sealed
by TheConduit
Summary: Nothing was necessarily over when the Rift was sealed. In fact, things are just getting interesting...
1. Chapter 1

The boy-shape hurried down the sides of the chasm, eagerly clutching his glimmering prize in his small hands. He had won! After many recent failures from well-meaning but infinitely inferior acolytes, his victory had come straight to him.

Soon the world of the living would be completely his. Visions of screelings, banelings, and green flames torturing the living for eternity began to careen around in his mind. He suppressed a small chuckle.

His first order of business would be Darken Rahl. Once his trusted emissary – and the very first of the banelings – Rahl had escaped his control by having his own soul magically inserted in another man's body. Then he betrayed him further by helping his half-brother, the Seeker, in his quest to find the Stone of Tears … the one thing that would close the Rift – and his plans for domination over every living thing – forever.

The corners of his small lips curled upward into an evil grin. But that won't happen now, eh, Rahl? I've got the Stone of Tears now … and soon I will have your pathetic soul. For all eternity…

He closed his eyes, imagining all of the delicious torments he would inflict on the dark-haired former Lord of D'Hara.

Suddenly a roar filled the air, and a brilliant rose-colored light filled the dark chasm. The boy-shape looked up to see the earth closing in above him, healing itself.

"No!" he screamed into the growing darkness. He turned on his heel and tried to climb back up the steep path, but it was too late. The Rift had somehow been sealed.

He began to sob, and the Stone of Tears fell with a soft plop! at his feet. It glimmered, even in the darkness. 


	2. Chapter 2

Nicci tasted the blood on her lips for the second time that day. The first had been shortly before she died.

She gasped for breath and looked up – into the face of Darken Rahl, who she had magically tortured and burned earlier that day in her quest to defeat both the Seeker and the Keeper.

Needless to say, he looked none too happy. At first, anyway.

His eyes – the color of a blue topaz, and equally as bright – held her in a steady, determined gaze.

"It's time for your bath," he purred.

Nicci looked down, and wondered how she had gone from lying dead on the floor to standing before Darken Rahl. She was naked. And covered with blisters.

She screamed – once in the dream, and once in the half-wakening state she was placed in for today's torture. 


	3. Chapter 3

Richard and Kahlan kissed for an eternity. At least, that's what Cara was thinking to herself.

"Could you two hurry it up? It's not like we haven't saved the world before."

The two lovers giggled like children, and turned to face Cara and Zedd. Zedd wore the smile of a doting grandfather. And Cara … well …

Richard squinted, looking toward the edge of the Pillars of Creation. A faint glow had appeared, coalescing into the form of a brown-haired girl wearing a white gown. She smiled at Richard.

"Seeker."

"Maia? So you are the Creator."

The girl walked toward the group, her smile never fading. "No, Seeker. I am not Maia. I have chosen a form with which you are familiar. Yet, why do you always feel it necessary to doubt Me?"

Richard arched an eyebrow. "Maybe because I've been burned by magic – and prophecies – a couple of times."

"You would have a world without magic, then?" She sighed. "What a sad world that would be, truly. I think even you know it, if you search your heart."

Richard looked at Kahlan, taking her hand in his. "I know what's in my heart." Kahlan smiled and blushed.

"So … Seeker … I suppose you are wondering why I have come to you."

"The thought had crossed my mind."

The girl walked toward Richard and Kahlan, reaching upward to lightly touch their faces as she spoke.

"The world is now saved from the terror of the Keeper, once my beloved. No longer will his cruelty overshadow My children. My heart was once saddened when I first knew his treachery -" she turned and looked mournfully at the Stone of Tears – "but as a Being of light and love, somehow I'd hoped that My love alone could reign supreme, even in his cold heart. Alas, that hope will never be." She turned away from Richard and Kahlan, hot tears welling in her midnight eyes, and continued.

"His wickedness knew no bounds, nor his hatred of My children. I felt their suffering, heard their cries. But I could do nothing to stop him. That was your destiny."

Richard winced. "Destinies are a lot like prophecies."

She smiled and faced him. "You are right, Seeker. Prophecies can be heeded, or they can be ignored. Nevertheless, it was presented to you, and even though the Keeper deceived you, even through your own death, you did was was necessary to ensure that light prevailed over darkness. My children and I owe you a great deal of thanks."

Beams of light began to stream around her head like a rainbow. "Kneel before me, Seeker. You are to be rewarded."

Richard looked to Zedd, who nodded. Walking slowly toward the girl, he bent and knelt before her. Her eyes sparkled as she placed her hands on his head.

"Richard Cypher, Seeker of Truth. You have proven your allegiance to the light and saved My children. You have sacrificed your own life, yet without malice toward those who took it from you. Your life has been returned to you, but even this is not a fitting reward for such a great act. I have seen and felt the love within your heart, love that is returned, yet at great cost."

She motioned to Kahlan, who kneeled beside Richard before her. "Kahlan Amnell, Mother Confessor. Your power, your Han, comes from love. Yet that love must be restrained, or the one you love will die. Love unfulfilled is like a slow-working poison."

She raised her hands above her head. The rainbow halo grew, enveloping the three of them in a warm glow. The Creator's voice grew suddenly strong, powerful, as she delivered an incantation. Zedd and Cara looked at the spectacle, dumbstruck … but Cara still (instinctively) grasped for the Agiel at her hip.

The wind began to blow violently around them, twisting upward from the ground in a vortex that stretched to the heavens above. Richard, Kahlan and the Creator seemed oblivious. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.  
The Creator lowered her hands. She reached down, took Richard and Kahlan's hands, and joined them.

"For your bravery and self-sacrifice in My service, and the service of all My creation, I have given you what you want … the ability to wed without death or confession."

Richard and Kahlan smiled at one another, as if for the first time. When Richard finally broke from Kahlan's gaze to thank the Creator, she was gone without a trace.

He wondered what her 'gift' would end up costing the two of them. 


	4. Chapter 4

Blue eyes glittered in the darkness, a smirk tugging at the corners of his perfect lips. He had only been in this body for a short time, but it suited him well. He had been fortunate to have found a double when he did … it was almost as if it had been pre-ordained.

He crossed the threshold into the dungeon, his crimson robe swishing softly at his ankles. He'd chosen the sleeveless one – it always made him look even stronger than he was, which was a lethal strength in itself. Almost as an afterthought, he took a dagger from a nearby table, staring intentedly at the chained woman on the floor.

"Nicci." His voice was both sweet and deadly – like honey mixed with poison.

The woman opened her eyes slowly, and raised her head. A silver Radahan was clasped around her neck, stifling her powers. She hated him. Tilting her head back, she spat.

"What do you want now, Rahl? You've tortured me far more than I ever did you."

He tilted his head, as if looking at a pathetic kitten. "Tsk, tsk, Nicci. You always were a bit dull when it came to manners. I've tortured you, you say?" He looked down at the blade in his hands. "You cut me to the quick, my dear."

Nicci snarled. "Give me that dagger, and I'll be glad to."

Rahl knelt beside her, lightly touching her matted golden tresses with the edge of the blade. With his other hand, he grasped a handful of hair and pulled her head back. He held the blade to her throat. A drop of blood trickled down and caught at the edge of the Radahan.

"Now," he whispered in her ear. "We shall be civilized. If you behave yourself, I may find it in my heart to only keep you shackled occasionally. Unless you are enjoying your new accommodations?"


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of the screaming and the damned writhing in green flames would have been overwhelming for a real boy. But the boy-shape didn't flinch. After all, he wasn't human.

He looked across the mass of tangled limbs for a certain dark-haired Sister of the Dark. Marianna. She may be pathetic – she'd died a few times now, in a few parallel realities – but she did like a good fight.

Damn these human eyes, he thought to himself, and shrugged off the borrowed body. It landed in a heap.

Good. Now I can see.

"Marianna!" he called into the darkness.

A hand shot up, grasping for him. "I am here, Keeper." She pulled her naked frame out of the crowd, and knelt before him.

If the Keeper had features, she would have seen that he was glaring at her. "Pathetic, worthless twit! You have failed me again and again. Consider yourself lucky that I don't burn you into oblivion!"

The girl began to grovel and weep. "Please, Keeper! Mercy! I have done everything I could for you! I only want to serve you! Forever!"

Green flames wrapped around her. She screamed in agony, and threw herself face-down on the ground. After a few moments, the flames receded.

The Keeper floated downward to whisper in her ear.

"Good," he hissed. "Now come with me."

Instantly, Marianna was transported to a deep underground cliff overlooking the mayhem below. Although she couldn't see him, she could feel the Keeper staring at her.

Images began to coalesce in her mind … a scroll … an explosion … and a young girl with raven hair and silver eyes.

Find her. And bring her to Me.  
Marianna was confused. The pathway to the Living World had been closed when the Rift was sealed. How would she be able to find this living girl, when she couldn't become a Baneling?

Leave that to Me … 


	6. Chapter 6

The young scribe blinked his eyes in bewilderment. This couldn't be true. It couldn't be real.

Because if it was, it meant that the Keeper may get another chance at the Living World.

He carefully checked and double-checked the piles of scrolls on the table before him, comparing the various languages. When he was satisfied that his translation was correct, he gathered them all up and ran as fast as he could to the leader of the Brotherhood. He found him wandering in the garden.

"Brother Marcus!" he cried, wheezing as he tried to catch his breath.

Marcus turned to him, gazing at him with ancient eyes. "You do not have to tell me, my son. I know what it is you've found. Somehow, Jonathan, I always knew that it would be you who found it." He reached out, grasping a small white flower with his fingertips. The young scribe thought the scene looked like a play in contrasts – the delicacy of the bloom against the parchment-like skin of Brother Marcus.

The older man shook his head, closing his eyes. "Now let us pray that we can conjure the help that we need … for even the Seeker will be powerless against the Keeper, if the Conduit is found."

He walked slowly toward the young scribe. "We will need all of the Brotherhood for this spell. As well as a Wizard of the First Order. Send for the wizard, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander. Quickly now!"

Jonathan didn't have to be told twice. He bolted for the large stone fortress used by the Brotherhood, and prayed that the Creator would give him strength for whatever was to come.


	7. Chapter 7

Fifteen Years Earlier …

The day was bright and sunny. Birds chirped and flitted among the tree branches that bent protectively around the house. A gentle breeze wafted across the meadow, which was now covered with millions of dandelion, sending fluffy seeds airborne to the sky.

In the shed, however, it was dark, lit only by a single candle flame. A young man with raven hair was hunched over a table, reading a scroll that he'd purchased on the black market. Well, purchased was being polite … pinched from his father's bag was a more accurate description of what he'd done. His midnight eyes glittered as he pored over the words that time seemed to be fading away.

With any luck, the spell would kill Darken Rahl.

He found a small black cauldron and poured the sinister-looking contents of several small vials into it. One last ingredient, an incantation, and it would be done.

A knock at the door broke his concentration.

"Danny!" The door opened to reveal a grinning 10-year-old girl. Carrying a toad. Her raven hair was pulled back in pigtails, her midnight eyes glittering like his had been just a moment before.

"Anna, get out of here while I'm working!"

The girl pouted and plopped herself on the floor of the shed. "But Danny, look what I found in the stream! Isn't he a big one?"

Danny smirked. "Yeah, it's a big one." He crossed the floor and pulled her to her feet. "But I have a lot of work to do, and I don't need you in the way."

Anna struggled against her brother's grip. "I won't be in the way! I wanna watch!" She began to stomp her feet.

He sighed. Anna could be very pushy – a trait she got from their mother. And she could be very sneaky – a trait they both got from their traveling-merchant father. It would soon prove fruitless to try and keep her subdued.

"Alright, alright," he demurred. "Just … don't touch anything. This is a very delicate spell, and if the potion isn't mixed right there could be trouble."

Anna stood at mock-attention and saluted her brother with one of the toad's front legs. "Yes, sir!"

"Now," he said, looking at some jars sitting on a wall shelf. "We need one more thing, and then it's magic time." He grabbed a jar labeled "Wolf's Fang" and dropped a pale white incisor into the cauldron. It started to bubble even before he lifted it above the candle-flame.

Raising his hands, he began the incantation, slowly at first (since it wasn't in his native tongue), then more confidently. A faint blue-green light began to emanate from the cauldron. Danny smiled – It's working!

Unfortunately for him, the faint blue-green light was a bad sign.

The blast took him completely off-guard, sending him flying through the shed wall. One of the boards holding his precious stores buckled under his weight, impaling him perfectly through the heart. He died instantly.

A small, rotund man ran toward the shed. "Danny! Anna!"

"Father?" Anna's voice was small, almost distant.

"Anna!" he cried, pulling remnants of boards and jars off of his daughter to free her. "Where is your brother? Did he do this? Was he playing with magic again?"

Anna's eyes were closed, as if it pained her to open them. "Yes, Father. He was over there" – she pointed to her left – "but I can't be sure where he is now. I don't think I can see."

The man looked up, weeping at the sight of his son's mangled body. He held Anna close to him, picking her up and carrying her to the house. After he'd laid her in her bed and instructed her mother to stay inside until he returned, he sprinted over to Danny.

Too much. Too soon. Foolish boy.

He thought he'd be sick, and fought against the urge to vomit. His wife's voice brought him back to reality.

"Aron! Come quickly! It's Anna!"

The man picked up his son's body and carried him into the house. After he laid him quietly on his bed for the last time, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve and went to see what was wrong with Anna.

What he saw nearly floored him. Anna's eyes were open – but did not look at all like before. Once midnight, like her brother's – they had changed to a perfect silver hue.

"Anna?" His breath caught in his chest.

Anna turned and looked at him, then away. She was blind.


	8. Chapter 8

Brown eyes fluttered open, blinking at the almost-midday sun filtering through branches overhead. Wh-where am I? she thought to herself, and struggled to get up.

Looking down at her body, she was horrified to find blood staining the front of her yellow peasant's dress. She instinctively reached to touch it, to find out how badly she'd been hurt.

As her fingertips stained with crimson, memories came flooding back like a tidal wave … the Rift … the Keeper … the mission … a girl with dark hair and silver eyes. She felt as if her head were going to explode, before a familiar voice jolted her back to the present.

"Marianna!" Her name seemed to echo within the walls of her own mind. Without the slightest hesitation, she fell to her knees.

"Yes, Keeper?"

"Stop dawdling and do what I sent you to do!"

"Yes, Keeper."

She leaped to her feet and ran east. It would be a good day and a half until she reached her destination. To pass the time, she marveled at how the Keeper had still been able to send her soul back through the Veil …

It had been the Stone of Tears. Once a memento of the Creator's deep sorrow, it also held a tiny bit of her creative Han. Marianna smirked. That same Han was also powerful enough to keep her from being a baneling, as well. Her master, the Keeper, had been able to use the Stone of Tears to send her back to a – shall we say, "previously occupied" – body, and she wouldn't even have to kill every day in order to stay on the surface without rotting away!

I may not have to … but that's not to say I don't want to, she thought to herself. But I can't decide who I want to kill more … the Seeker, or Darken Rahl? 


	9. Chapter 9

Zedd stood in the moonlight, staring up at the moon and stars. Although nothing appeared to be wrong, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite … right.

Everything had gone well in the past few days since the Creator gave Her blessing to Richard and Kahlan. No Banelings. No uprisings. No sign of Mord' Sith, even though he felt Garren still lived, after Kahlan had gone through the Con Dar and ordered both her and her sisters to destroy each other . Heck, even the weather had been cooperative!

Still, he couldn't quell that nagging in his gut – the nagging that told him all was not as it seemed. Something was out there, something he couldn't quite put his finger on …

"Ugh! What do you think you're doing … and why are you holding a chicken?" Cara's face was a mixture of shock and revulsion. She tried to beat both of them down (as well as the rabbit they'd had for dinner), since these were signs of weakness – something no Mord' Sith was to have.

Zedd reached down for his robe (Cara looking away thankfully in time!) and dressed. The chicken clucked and scampered off under a bush.

"I'm sorry, Cara. I thought I was alone, and I just wanted to see what the heavens had to say to me."

Cara arched an eyebrow. "You mean, you feel it too? I thought it was just me. But with Richard and Kahlan being so lovey-dovey, and everybody else being all joyful and happy … it's just … unnerving."

The mention of Richard's name made Zedd tense for a moment, something Cara immediately picked up on. She closed the distance between them and whispered, "You think something's going to happen to Richard, don't you?"

He looked back up at the twinkling stars and pale moon. "No," he said gravely. "I think something already has." Turning back to Cara, he put a hand on her shoulder. "But don't say anything. Not now. Not until I know what it is."

Cara nodded, and left Zedd in the clearing. After she found a quiet spot, she looked at the stars herself for a while.


	10. Chapter 10

Ancient, wrinkled hands floated above her eyes in the darkness, moving in sync to an equally ancient voice's chant. She wished she could just die … but the drawback of having an army of Mord' Sith guarding this fortress was that if she did, they'd just bring her back.

Which they'd done. Seven times already. Damn that Rahl!

Nicci took in a labored breath and tried to forget the past week. Every day, she'd been escorted to Rahl's private bathing chamber. Every day, the Mord' Sith had heated the water to boiling. Every day, she'd died amidst her screams. Every day, they'd used the Breath of Life and brought her back to experience the pain. And then every night, this decrepit sorceress had healed her so they could do it all again the next day.

If I ever get out of this Rada' Han, they will pay. All of them. But Rahl first … no … last. Always save the best for last. 


	11. Chapter 11

Darken Rahl paced the floor in the tower room. It should not be long now.

He'd paid the old hag well to heal Nicci daily. The thought brought a twisted smile to his curved lips, and his eyes darkened to the color of sapphires. What no one else knew was that the "healing spell" was also slowly robbing Nicci of her Han.

Which will then be transferred to me …

It was going to be perfect. Once again, he'd have his magic. And when Nicci's Han had been thoroughly drained, he'd send her to her former master. Preferably in a few pieces.

His gaze was drawn to a large golden chest, sitting on a writing desk in the room. He walked over to it, opening the chest and delicately stroking the scroll within.

No … not long at all.

"My lord?"

He looked up to see Garren standing in the doorway. She looked as she always did – perfect. A perfect braid ran down her back. A perfect red leather uniform hugged the perfectly round curves of her body.

"What is it?" he replied.

"The old woman, Grakla. She says to call for you, that what you have asked for is done."

He closed the lid on the chest. Not long at all.


	12. Chapter 12

Jonathan didn't know what was worse – being lost, or being lost in these accursed thornbushes.

He hadn't meant to ride into them. In fact, he felt quite guilty for urging his horse onward. But he had to find the Wizard of the First Order, and thorns or no, he was going to do it. The fate of all life may depend on it.

After what seemed like an eternity (to both rider and horse), the thorns parted, and Jonathan found himself in a sunny clearing. A brook was nearby, emptying into a small, clear pond. Dandelion grew wild, nodding their yellow heads in the slight breeze.  
Thank the Creator, he prayed silently.

Dismounting, he led the horse to the brook for a quick drink. As he looked around, he spied a small house at the end of the clearing. Tying the horse loosely to a nearby tree, he walked to the house to see if he could buy some food from whoever might live there.

He raised his right hand to knock, but before he could, his legs were swept out from under him. He went down hard on his back, hitting his head on the ground. When he looked up to see who had done it, he was dumbfounded.

Standing above him, a long staff in her hand, was the most beautiful young woman he'd ever seen. Her raven hair flowed in soft curls to her waist. Her skin was flawless, the color of cream. And her eyes … were silver.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" she demanded, pushing the staff even closer to his face. Even her voice was perfect.

Jonathan knew that the young woman meant business, so he didn't waste time explaining. "I'm Jonathan, a scribe with the Brotherhood of the Kassdim. I am on a journey to find a friend of ours. I meant no harm. I just wanted to ask if I could buy some food from you."

The woman cocked her head to the side, as if listening for something in his voice. "You are telling the truth. My apologies." She extended a hand to help him up, but her eyes never met his.

She's blind, he realized.

"My name is Anna. This is my father's house. He doesn't allow visitors here." Turning to the door, she opened it and walked in deftly, as if she'd memorized every step within the house. Which she probably had…

Jonathan stayed on the front porch, not wanting to offend the woman – or her father. Wherever he may be.

Anna went to the small kitchen area and brought out a canvas bag. "You may pick some apples in this … for you and your horse. Then you must go."

Jonathan took the bag from her gently. "Yes, miss. Thank you very much. But I must give you something for your trouble."

Anna smiled, and Jonathan thought the stars themselves weren't nearly as dazzling. "These few moments of company have been enough."

She closed the door between them, locking it. Jonathan stared at it, wanting to see her one more time … to look into her eyes … those hypnotizing, silver eyes.

The same eyes that silently wept on the other side of the door.


	13. Chapter 13

"I never thought it was possible to be loved like this." Kahlan snuggled up close to Richard, resting her head on his chest. She sighed, content that she could – at last – be with the man she loved. Forever.

Richard instinctively pulled her closer, twirling his fingers through her dark hair and listened to the sound of her breathing. When she finally slept, he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

Thoughts ran through his mind … thoughts unbidden and unwelcome. The Creator had "blessed" the two of them, but with what? She hadn't said, and Zedd couldn't figure it out, magic or not.

And he'd tried, too. For the better part of a week, he'd tried spell after spell to "read" what was different about Richard and Kahlan. But he hadn't been able to discern what it was.

Whatever it was, it was guarded by powerful magic. That was certain.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Great, a headache. While he'd held Kahlan close every night, he'd not been sleeping himself. He'd been thinking instead, to no avail. Now he was reaping the fruit of his restlessness.

He wished he could do more than hold Kahlan, but until the "blessing" was confirmed, the two of them – at Zedd's urging – had decided they'd better hold off on anything more intimate than this.

Closing his eyes, he tried once more to doze off …

… and found himself in a field of dandelion. A warm breeze wafted the scent of wildflowers. A brook wound through the forest nearby, making light babbling sounds as the water glided over the rocks, finally coming to an end in a pond so clear, it seemed to rival the sun above.

He looked around, and spied a small house near the edge of the clearing. An old monk stood in front of it, a look of grave seriousness on his face. Richard felt a need to confront him, and began to walk toward the house.

"Seeker," the monk said, bowing his head. "We have heard of your success, but you must know it is not finished. Not yet. The conduit must be found. Must be hidden. Destroy it if you must. But do not let the Keeper gain it."

Richard frowned. "The Keeper is sealed up in the Underworld. He can't harm anyone up here anymore."

The monk shook his head. "No, Seeker. He has sent one of his followers to collect the Conduit. The Stone of Tears made by your woman may have sealed the Rift, but the Veil can still be parted between the Underworld and the land of the Living." He stared directly into Richard's eyes. "And you must also know that the one he sent is not a Baneling." Richard took an involuntary step backward, trying to make sense of what he was being told.

"Not a Baneling? But how? The Keeper can't give life."

"No, he can't," the monk said. "But the Creator can, and it was with her Stone of Tears that the Keeper sent his wretched follower back to the land of the Living."

The daylight seemed to fade just then, and Richard found himself straining to hear the monk's final words …

"Follow the Scribe, find the Conduit, and beware the golden-haired woman …"

Richard awoke with a start. The dream-monk's words still echoed faintly in his mind.

Beware the golden-haired woman?

Cara?


	14. Chapter 14

A rabbit munched happily amid a field of clover. It was just after dawn, and the trees cast long shadows over the meadow. Suddenly its ears perked up, listening for danger, and it tensed, ready to run quickly if need be.

The Dacra sliced the rabbit's spine in half. _Not quick enough._

Marianna grinned wickedly, picked up the mangled carcass and Dacra, and headed back toward her campsite. _It was going to be a good day…_

In the past week, she had nearly starved. With no weapon to hunt food, and very few plants in the forest that would fill her, she at one point thought that she'd die of starvation before she got to the cave which was the former home of the Sisters of the Dark.

On the third day, a kind, plump traveling merchant had come along. Marianna chuckled to herself as she recalled the solid _Snap!_ of his neck as she broke it, stealing his horse and cart. The fool had told her she reminded him of his daughter – Ha!

Unfortunately for Marianna, however, the plump merchant had been on his way home from his travels, as there was plenty of gold but little food to be found amongst the bags and boxes.

One box in particular had intrigued her. It was made of highly polished wood, and had the name "Anna" carved in intricate silver letters across the lid.

_Probably something some drunk sold him at a fool's price so he could buy another ale_, she thought.

But something inside her stirred, moving her to open the delicate silver latch. Inside the box, like a web of moonlight, was a gossamer dress and head covering. Marianna couldn't be sure, but she could almost swear it had a faint glow to it. She took it out to study it, and heard a faint plop.

A pendant made of the finest gold, and inlaid with a smooth stone the color of midnight caught her eye. She picked it up, and gazed into the stone. What she saw surprised her, since she hadn't really taken time to study her new body…

A golden-haired woman stared back in the reflection. Startled by the sight, she threw the pendant and dress back in the box and climbed into the driver's seat.

She drove the horses hard, pushing them to their limits to reach the cave and retrieve a Dacra. The cave was closer than she thought, and she reached it quickly. Elated, she leaped from the seat and sprinted for the cave entrance.

A flash of red in the corner of the cave caught her eye. Sister Ciaran. The woman looked menacingly at Marianna, her Dacra held high above her head, and in an instant, she launched it at her. The Dacra shot toward Marianna – a wicked silver triquetra of destructive force.

Marianna just looked at the Dacra. It stopped in midair, then fell to the ground with a slight thud. Then she looked at Sister Ciaran.

Sister Ciaran fell to her knees, weeping. "Who … who are you?" she said in a high-pitched whisper.

"You already know me, Ciaran."

Sister Ciaran stared into the woman's eyes, a look of shock and wonder filling her features. "By the Keeper! Sister Marianna, you're alive!" She ran and embraced Marianna … who wondered silently what other powers she would possess in this new body … thanks to the Stone of Tears.

Marianna straightened, grabbing Sister Ciaran by the shoulders. "Get me a robe, a head covering, and a Dacra. I have a job to do for our Master. And be quick about it!"

The younger Sister of the Dark bolted to a hidden room in the cave, procuring the items that Marianna ordered. It took Marianna only a short time to bathe and dress. Once she'd finished, Sister Ciaran offered her a meal of wild hen and honeyed wine. At once, Marianna felt fully alive.

When Sister Ciaran returned with fresh bread, elated that her former mentor was alive again, Marianna was nowhere to be found. She had left without a sound, eager to complete her Master's mission … to find a certain raven-haired girl with silver eyes.


End file.
